Introduction of our new tab..." ROMANI REPORTS "....!

Under this tab, you will find interesting news on art, culture, history and media, gathered by: Wout J. van Vloten. Wout is also editor of the World Artists Initiative "Khetanes" page on Facebook. Articles published here can also be found on his Facebook page or on the Khetanes page on Facebook.

We Are The Roma !, One Thousand Years of Discrimination... by VALERIU NICOLAE (Seagull Books London, 2013)

The Roma or Romani people, commonly called gypsies, comprise one of the largest ethnic minorities in the European Union, with significant populations in the Balkan Peninsula as well as Spain, France, Russia, and the Ukraine. Persecution of the Roma dates back to the Byzantine Empire, when many were enslaved. The violent discrimination - being burnt alive, having homes destroyed and children stoned - and ghettoization of their communities continues even today. Despite EU legislation designed to protect them against racism, blatant and persistent persecution continues, both in newer member states such as Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary, and in countries at the heart of the EU. And despite the EU's stated commitment to human rights, country or official body has taken up the case of the Roma and strongly argued for their protection and integration. In this powerful and well-argued book, Valeriu Nicolae, himself a Romanian Roma, gives voice to the Roma cause, offering a precise and candid look at their current situation. In doing so, Nicolae also provides insightful ideas for what can and should be done to stem this long-standing and cruel intolerance. We are the Roma! brings to light an important and often over-looked ethnic discrimination in Europe and tells a story urgently in need of telling.

Valeriu Nicolae packs one thousand years into one hundred pages in this bracing manifesto for the 21st Century, covering racism, identity, mass media, slavery, ghetto life, affirmative action, social inclusion and much more. This entire text is an urgent, forcefully-argued polemic from Nicolae who has long since abandoned the international Roma conference and advocacy circuit to dedicate his waking hours to working with children and young people in Ferentari, one of the worst ghettos in Bucharest-RO. And some of the most compelling pages in this book are those which describe, in direct and unadorned prose, the utter desperation and bleak poverty that disfigures the lives of so many of the European Union's youngest and most vulnerable citizens. The acute deprivation in Ferentari and other ghettos no doubt fuels Nicolae’s outrage at the vast sums unwisely spent to little effect on short-term projects, trainings and conferences. And neither is there any doubt that his broadsides aimed at sclerotic ethnic elites, uncaring governments, obtuse bureaucrats, and myopic funders will ruffle feathers. So be it - Nicolae makes the convincing case that after ‘one thousand years of discrimination,’ our Roma fellow-citizens simply deserve better when it comes to respect, dignity and inclusion, and duty-bearers who fail to fulfil their duties need to be called to account.

Contents: The Roma Identity Delusion So Who Are the Roma? Symbols of Identity: Land, Language and Culture, Not to Mention Flags and Anthems Ghetto Identity Reactive Identity Roma Nationalism Roma Identity: What the Majorities Want The Role of the Mass Media: Romania Media in Italy Should the Roma Solve Their Own Problems ? Affirmative Action and Existing Opportunities for Roma Representation Social Inclusion: A Challenge for Europe Where Do We Go from Here ? The Case of Dumitru G.

2013/2014....Pata Rât is located at the periphery of the city of Cluj Napoca, in the heart of Transylvania and covers 18 hectares. It is the home of three distinct groups of Roma people that live in two neighborhoods, ironically named “Dallas I”, “Dallas II” and a third one that lives up on the Pata Rat landfill, a total of circa 1500 people.

The Jewish origins of the Roma Based on historical evidence and arguments famous Finnish and Israeli ethnologists, researchers Roma identity as Mr. Kyösti, Mr. Roth and Sandor Awraham I decided to write this article about the origin of the Roma.…Continue

Nowhere to Turn: The Situation of Dom Refugees from Syria in TurkeyThe aim of this report is to shed light on the situation of Dom refugees and related groups from Syria in Turkey, examining their needs for assistance and the socio-economic,…Continue